Tag Archives: baby

Dadblogging, Food

Baby taste buds

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Until Emily started weaning, I noted food combinations that babies were sold with some mystery. Who thought that salmon, parsnip and courgette were a sensible thing to blend together and feed to someone? But since she’s been eating more I’ve gained a little more insight into the process by which parents come up with food for their little ones.

Absolute, blind luck.

Surely no kind of measured, quantitative testing can make sense for baby foods? The little monkeys seem to have arbitrary and fast-changing standards by which the enjoyment of any given flavour is gauged. Heaven one day can be hell the next.

I suspect that somewhere, there’s a random flavour generator adding odd combinations of protein, carb and veg together in the hope that small people will find those pots of blended mush tasty….

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Best songs to sing to our baby

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Every set of parents, no doubt, have a particularly useful set of tunes for singing to / playing to their children for calm, play, fun and frolics. Here are some of ours – in no particular order.

  1. Show me the way to go home – YouTube here – I sing this one to calm Emily down.
  2. Dingle dangle scarecrow – YouTube here – for all occasions
  3. Heads shoulders knees and toes – for instructing Emily in basic anatomy
  4. Twinkle twinkle little star – Nani’s favourite tune to sing to her – although you gotta love the Mozart variations
  5. A whole new world – YouTube here – sung whilst teaching Emily how to waltz
  6. Incy wincy spider – in Danish – YouTube here
  7. Ten in the bed and the little one said – roll over – sung whilst training her to… roll over
  8. Boogie Woogie Washerwoman – slowly for sleep, quickly for play! Can’t find an ‘official’ version of this song but here’s a random singing it on YouTube.
  9. “Walking on sunshine” – re-worded so she’s “Walking on Daddy.” A favourite game!

Lullabies – generally we just play her an album for this – this one – and it helps Emily with her bedtime routine  alongside a wind-up ticking alarm clock and a sheep much like this one (thanks to Luke & Em). Amanda sings a calming set of vowel sounds to help her sleep when she’s upset.

What are your songs to sing to baby??

Dadblogging, Observational, Shopping

Observations on baby clothing

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Inspired by my good lady wife, this post.

1. Buttons are fiddly. Push-fasteners would be better.

2. Fasteners should be on the front or side of clothes. Things on the back are annoying.

3. Anything that requires pulling over a baby’s head is almost automatically less good than anything that doesn’t.

4. Anything that requires actual tying is optimistic at best, except with shoelaces and even that’s a bit much.

5. There’s this thing – velcro – which is awesome. Apply liberally.

6. Thick clothes need more wiggle room – baby’s arms don’t bend like spaghetti into tight spaces.

7. Emily’s really enjoying the extra freedom she has from being a bit, erm, nakeder, in the warm weather here in Malaysia.

…I’m sure that there are fashion designers out there would would read this with disdain, saying “fasteners are so last year, dah-ling,” but as a Dad I’d pick practicality and comfort over style every time. This isn’t an argument I’ll win every time but it’s nice to voice the thought.

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Baby training academy

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Emily is *so* close to rolling over. Amanda and I have taken to giving her a bit of extra training – more tummy time and some assisted rolls. It’s a matter of days, we think!

One of the many highlights of recent days has been seeing her start to be even more responsive and interactive during activities like this. She smiles during tummy time, gazing around the room to see the smiling relatives looking on adoringly. She even lifts her head up so she can get a good chomp on Sophie the Teething Giraffe (a favourite toy).

The other recent fantastic experience is seeing her react to her buggy – in the UK she wasn’t quite big enough to sit in the buggy chassis for her Silver Cross Surf pram, but the relatively cheap and cheerful Hauck three wheeler we’ve acquired over here (something like this) is better suited to her current size – and she sits in it literally trembling with excitement as she zooms around shopping malls, leaning forward (she’s in a permanent state of crunch) to grab the bar and lift herself up for an even better view. She giggles joyously when we play with her in it.

Huge fun. Being a dad is *awesome*.

Dadblogging, Shopping

Brand shopping for Hippo

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I’m, for my faults, a brand shopper. I look for brands I’ve developed some affection, respect or trust in over the years and go to them as a repeat customer. All the clothes I’ve bought for the last 3 years have come from White Stuff – they make things that fit me and I think look pretty wonderful. Similarly, when we got the new car for me (less so for Mrs D), the reputation – in terms of safety, driving, reliability, resale value etc – meant a lot to me. And whilst I diverted from my family automotive history, there is a certain safety in the choice we made.

With Hippo, everything’s new. Silver Cross vs. Phil & Ted’s vs. Bugaboo? Baby Bjorn vs Tomy? Mothercare vs. Mamas and Papas vs. Cosatto vs John Lewis vs…? And so on. The few familiar brands bring some comfort – but they’re not specialist, so you wonder if they’re good at this. The prestige becomes generic.

And I remain clueless.

Anyone with any insight, or blogs I should read – please let me know… As well as all the baby stuff, with the house move we’re looking at Liebherr fridges and Bosch dryers – and need to take the great Flymo vs. Bosch Rotak lawnmower decision.

There’s entirely too much to think about!